Agricultural device for processing soil with two sets of working rollers

ABSTRACT

Agricultural device for soil processing with two sets of working rollers comprising a supporting frame, which comprises a central part, a left wing and a right wing, wherein the left and right wing are rotatably attached to the central part, at least two rows of working units attached to the supporting frame, wherein the working units are arranged in regular distances in every row, a left set of rollers attached to the left wing and a right set of rollers attached to the right wing, wherein the sets of rollers are divided into front rollers and rear rollers and provided with attachments and discs, wherein the discs on the sets are located between these attachments. The number of discs of rear rollers differs exactly by one disc from the number of discs of front rollers, wherein the distances between individual discs are the same along the whole width of the agricultural device, and wherein the discs of front rollers are located in the same plane as the working units.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to EP Application No. 19155207, filed on Feb. 4, 2019, the disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to working rollers of an agricultural device which are asymmetric in terms of the construction and the number of discs.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

Agricultural devices with operating units for soil processing (e.g. ploughshares) should be arranged so that each operating unit mounted to the supporting frame of the agricultural device corresponds with exactly one disc of the front part of the roller, or the disc and the operating unit are located in the same plane. Seeds are put into a freshly ploughed furrow created by the operating units and are slightly pushed into the soil by the subsequent overrun of the discs. The remaining discs located on the rear part of the roller without a corresponding operating unit then run over the created furrow and level the piled-up soil. Thanks to this processing, suitable placement of seeds in the soil, their pushing and covering by freshly processed soil is ensured.

The agricultural devices with a narrow operating width, which do not need to be folded in order to meet the standard width requirements for transport of an agricultural device on roads, use a single continuous working roller divided into a front part and a rear part, wherein this roller is attached to the device frame, thus this device performs its function completely, or the soil is evenly processed along the whole width of the agricultural device.

With wider operating width, the agricultural device in its unfolded state cannot be transported on roads and it is necessary to divide the structure frame into a central part and a left wing and a right wing, wherein these wings are rotatably attached to the central part to allow folding of the whole structure. Therefore, it is necessary to use at least two rear rollers, wherein the left rear roller is mounted to the left wing of the structure and the right rear roller is mounted to the right wing of the structure. However, using this structure, a gap in which no disc is located appears in between the rollers, therefore the discs are not arranged in regular distances along the whole operating width of the agricultural device. In the place with a missing disc, the soil is improperly processed, which leads to poor growth of crops in this place, i.e. economic losses in the long term. This structural deficiency can be found in the document DE102016115319 A1, in which two sets of rollers (reference sign 40) are located in the rear part of the agricultural device. There is a gap between the discs, between the left set of rollers and the right set of rollers, which fails to correspond with the distance interval between other discs.

Therefore, there exists a need for agricultural device in which the rear rollers are provided with discs and arranged in such way that soil is evenly processed along the whole operating width of the agricultural device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above-mentioned drawbacks are, at least partially, eliminated by an agricultural device for soil processing having two sets of working rollers comprising a supporting frame which comprises a central part, a left wing and a right wing, wherein the left and right wing are rotatably connected to the central part, at least two sets of working units mounted to the supporting frame, wherein in every row, the working units are arranged in regular distances, the left set of rollers mounted to the left wing and the right set of rollers mounted to the right wing, wherein the sets are divided into a front roller and a rear roller and provided with attachments and discs located between these attachments, wherein the discs of the front rollers are located in the same plane as the working units. The number of discs of the rear rollers differs from the number of discs of the front rollers exactly by one disc and the distances between individual discs are the same along the whole width of the agricultural device.

The agricultural device is designed in such way that the left set of rollers and the right set of rollers have different number of discs and different length. The sets of rollers are provided with attachments, between which the discs are located. One set of rollers is provided with a disc that is located on the inner side of the attachment, wherein the distance of this disc from the nearest discs corresponds with the distance between discs. This disc can be part of the front roller of the right set of rollers, or the front roller of the left set of rollers, or the rear roller of the right set of rollers, or the rear roller of the left set of rollers.

In a preferred embodiment, the total number of discs is thirty-nine and working units nineteen. A working unit can be a ploughshare or a chisel and the agricultural device is provided with three rows of working units.

In a preferred embodiment, the agricultural device is then provided with at least one wheel that makes the transport of the agricultural device easier on roads.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The summary of the invention is further shown by examples of its embodiment, which are described means of the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the whole structure of the agricultural device,

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the structure of the agricultural device,

FIG. 3 shows a left side view of the structure of the agricultural device,

FIG. 4 shows the left set of rollers of the agricultural device,

FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of the left set of rollers of the agricultural device,

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the left set of rollers of the agricultural device,

FIG. 7 shows a view of a whole of both sets of rollers of the agricultural device,

FIG. 8 shows a bottom view of a whole of both sets of rollers of the agricultural device,

FIG. 9 shows the right set of rollers of the agricultural device with a disc mounted on the outer side of the attachment of the rollers,

FIG. 10 shows a side view of the right set of rollers of the agricultural device with a disc mounted on the outer side of the attachment of the rollers and

FIG. 11 shows a bottom view of the right set of rollers of the agricultural device with a disc mounted on the outer side of the attachment of the rollers.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The agricultural device 1 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 comprises a supporting frame 2, which is further divided into a central part 3, a left wing 4 and a right wing 5, wherein the wings 4 and 5 are rotatably attached to the central part 3. Because of the rotatable mounting it is possible to fold the agricultural device 1 into a more compact form, which is important for subsequent transport of the agricultural device 1 on roads. The agricultural device 1 includes at least two rows 6 of working units 7, which are arranged in such way that their mutual distance 14 is the same along the whole width of the agricultural device 1. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the agricultural device is provided with three rows 6 of working units 7. However, even multi-row arrangements with four, five and more sets 6 of working units 7 are possible. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the working unit 7 is a ploughshare, although other embodiments of the invention are possible with different working units 7 that are used for soil processing, e.g. by chisels.

Agricultural device 1 is further provided with two sets of rollers shown in FIG. 4-11 , namely the left set of rollers 9 and the right set of rollers 10, wherein the left set of rollers 9 is considered to be the left set from the top view of the device 1 in the driving direction 1 a and the right set of rollers 10 is considered to be the right set of rollers from the top view of the device 1 in the driving direction 1 a see FIG. 2 . The left set of rollers 9 is attached to the left wing 4 and the right set of rollers 10 is attached to the right wing 5. The sets of rollers 9 and 10 are divided into the front roller 9 a and 10 a the rear roller 9 b and 10 b and they are provided with attachments 13 along their sides, where the inner attachments 13 a are located closer to the center of the agricultural device 1 and the outer attachments 13 b are located further from the center of the agricultural device 1. The discs 11 are arranged between the attachments 13 of the rollers in such way that the position of the discs 11 a located on front rollers 9 a and 10 a correspond with the working units 7, see FIG. 2 . The number of discs 11 b located on rear rollers 9 b and 10 b differs by exactly one disc 11 from the number of discs 11 a located on front rollers 9 a and 10 a and they are located in such way that the mutual distance 12 of all discs 11 is the same along the whole width of the agricultural device 1. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the number of discs 11 b on rear rollers 9 b and 10 b is higher by one disc 11 than the number of discs 11 a on front rollers 9 a and 10 a. In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the number of discs 11 b on rear rollers 9 b and 10 b is lower by one disc 11 than the number of discs 11 a on front rollers 9 a and 10 a. Because of this, the soil is evenly processed along the whole width of the agricultural device 1 and no gaps of unprocessed soil appear.

The sets of rollers 9 and 10 differ from each other, both in their length and in the number of discs 11, which are located on each set. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the right set of rollers 10 is longer than the left set of rollers 9 and extends beyond the central axis of the agricultural device 1 in its length. Other embodiments of the invention are possible when the left set of rollers 9 is longer than the right set of rollers 10 and extends beyond the central axis of the agricultural device 1 by its length.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the left set of rollers 9 is provided with a disc 14 mounted to the inner attachment 13 a. The distance of this disc 14 from the nearest discs 11 equals the mutual distance 12 of other discs 11. All discs 11 and the disc 14 attached to the inner attachment 13 a are then arranged in regular distances 12 along the whole width of the agricultural device 1. The disc 14 mounted to the inner attachment 13 a can then be located in such way that its position corresponds with the position of discs 11 a of front rollers 9 a and 10 a. In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the disc 14 mounted to the inner attachment 13 a can then be located in such way that its position corresponds with the position of discs 11 b of rear rollers 9 b and 10 b.

Other embodiments of the invention are possible when the right set of rollers 10 is provided with a disc 14 mounted to the inner attachment 13 a. The distance of this disc 14 from the nearest discs 11 equals the mutual distance 12 of other discs 11. All discs 11 and the disc 14 mounted to the inner attachment 13 a are then arranged in regular distances 12 along the whole width of the agricultural device 1.

In other exemplary embodiments of the invention, when the left set of rollers 9 is longer than the right set of rollers 10 and is provided with a higher number of discs 11, arrangement of the disc 14 attached to the inner attachment 13 a by the left set of rollers 9 is possible. The distance of this disc 14 from the nearest discs 11 equals the mutual distance 12 of other discs 11. All discs 11 and the disc 14 attached from the outside 13 a of the attachment 13 are then arranged in regular distances 12 along the whole width of the agricultural device 1. Other embodiments of the invention are possible, in which the right set of rollers 10 provided with a disc 14 is attached to the inner attachment 13 a. The distance of this disc 14 from the nearest discs 11 equals the mutual distance 12 of other discs 11. All discs 11 and the disc 14 attached to the inner attachment 13 a are then arranged in regular distances 12 along the whole width of the agricultural device 1.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a total number of nineteen working units 7 on the agricultural device 1 is arranged in three rows 6. This corresponds with the total number of thirty-nine discs 11 and 14 located on rear rollers 9 and 10.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the agricultural device 1 is provided with two wheels 8, which make transport of the agricultural device on roads easier. However, other embodiments of the invention without transport wheels or with a different number of wheels 8 are possible.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

A device according to this invention can be used for agricultural devices that use discs located on rear rollers for compacting of processed soil.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

-   1—agricultural device -   1 a—driving direction of the agricultural device -   2—supporting frame -   3—central part of the supporting frame -   4—left wing of the supporting frame -   5—right wing of the supporting frame -   6—row of working units -   7—working unit -   8—wheels (not shown) -   9—left set of rollers -   9 a—front roller of left set -   9 b—rear roller of left set -   10—right set of rollers -   10 a—front roller of right set -   10 b—rear roller of right set -   11—disc -   11 a—front roller disc -   11 b—rear roller disc -   12—distance between the discs -   13—attachments of sets of rollers -   13 a—inner attachment -   13 b—outer attachment -   14—disc mounted to inner attachment -   15—distance between working units 

The invention claimed is:
 1. An agricultural device for soil processing with two sets of working rollers, comprising a supporting frame which comprises a central part, a left wing and a right wing, wherein the left and right wings are rotatably attached to the central part, at least two rows of working units attached to the supporting frame, wherein the working units are arranged in regular distances in every row, a left set of rollers attached to the left wing and a right set of rollers attached to the right wing, wherein the sets of rollers are divided into a front roller and a rear roller, wherein these sets of rollers are provided with attachments and discs, wherein the discs are located between the attachments, wherein the number of discs of rear rollers differs from the number of discs of front rollers exactly by one disc, wherein the distances between the individual discs are the same along the whole width of the agricultural device, and wherein the discs of front rollers are located in the same plane as the working units, and wherein one set of rollers is provided with a disc arranged on an inner attachment of the set, and wherein the distance from the nearest discs equals the mutual distance of discs.
 2. The agricultural device for soil processing with two sets of working rollers according to claim 1, wherein the disc attached to the inner attachment is part of the front roller of the right set or is part of the front roller of the left set.
 3. The agricultural device for soil processing with two sets of working rollers according to claim 1, wherein the disc attached to the inner attachment is part of the rear roller of the right set or is part of the rear roller of the left set.
 4. The agricultural device for soil processing with two sets of working rollers according to claim 1, wherein the working unit is a ploughshare or a chisel.
 5. The agricultural device for soil processing with two sets of working rollers according to claim 1, wherein the total number of discs is thirty-nine and the number of working units is nineteen.
 6. The agricultural device for soil processing with two sets of working rollers according to claim 1, wherein it is provided with three rows of working units.
 7. The agricultural device for soil processing with two sets of working rollers according to claim 1, wherein it is provided with at least one wheel. 